Shingle



June 23, 1936. i N, p, HARSHBERGER 2,044,783

I SHINGLE Filed Dec. 2l, 1931 /5 Z4' /24 Q m y e f INVENTOR. /z 25 y? p 45 coating.

Patented `June 23, 1936 Norman P. Harshberger, Scarsdale, N. Y., awssignor to Bakelite Building Products Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 2.1, 1931, Serial No. 582,377

13 Claims.

This invention. relates to improvements 'in shingles and method of producing the same.

Rigid shingles for roofing and siding purposes have, in recent years, been received with con- Vsiderable favor due to the fact that they are more *frire-proof, more massive in appearance, and more .Y durable than the usual form of flexible composition covering. These shingles are commonly manufactured from a mixture of cement and asbestos fibers formed by a suitable method, such as by molding, to a desired shape, and then subjected to high' pressure. shingle must be put individually through the various stepsin the manufacturing process', the cost l5 of the article is relatively high so that the iield of use hasV been necessarily limited.

It is one of the`V objects of this invention to provide an improved method of producing rigid shingles which entails' the minimum of manufacturing expense and which, nevertheless, forms a very effective and durable product.

A more specic object of this invention is to lprovide a method of producing shingles which makes it possibleto form and cut a plurality of rigid elements, of any conventional shape, from a traveling'web to `thereby increase production and eliminate the usual expense of forming each y element separately.

A further speciiicl object ofthe invention is to provide a method which'includes the coating of a continuous web of inexpensive, relatively thin iiexible material, such as paper,n with hydraulic cement or the like, and the cuttingL of said coated webA to form a plurality of' lindividual elements therefrom before the cement has completely set, "thepaper acting as a vehicle to hold the cement in web formprior to hardening of said cement. A further object of the invention is to provide a method of producing shingles which includes the coating of acontinuous web of relatively thin exible material on both sides with hydraulic cement and the cutting of the web in such a manner as to form a plurality of elements of desired shape having their cut edges protected vby the A further object of thisinvention is to provide as a new article of manufacture a shingle consisting of a relatively thin core of paper or the like covered with hydraulic cement. The product is to be distinguished from 'products whereina 'relatively thickl core, such as wood, is coatedvwith cement, as in such a product the core forms a major-portion of the finished product. In the present form ofshingle, however, the paper forms n a, vminor part 'of the iinalproduct, 'the cement Due to the fact that eachA (Cl. 10B-8.)

forming the major portion thereof. In the nal product the paper is not conducive to cracking of the cement coating since it forms' only a minor part of the total bulk, and is not adapted to control the movements of the cement portion which 5 are occasioned by moisture, thermal expansion or contraction, or to contraction brought about A by curing and ageing. In this respect it is a considerable improvement over cement shingles having a metal or wood core and should also be 10 distinguished from the standard weight felt shingles having a cement coating on one sidethereof as here the felt forms a considerable portion of the total product and provides different characteristics. Moreover, paper has considerably 15 greater strength for its thickness than other ma# terials which could be used as a core andl therefore has the ability of holding the product together in the event of fracture due to long use and handling. 20

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved shingle and method of producing the same,` and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

-In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational viewpaitially diagrammatic, showing the method of forming the web to produce the improved shingle;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken trans- 30 versely through the web, showing complementary cutting knives acting thereon while the coating is in a. semiplastic condition; 1

Fig. 3 is a similar view wherein an upper cu ting knife only is utilized, the web being sup- 35 ported by a roll below;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing one form of cut element which may be produced, part being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken on line 5 5 of 40 Fig. 4; n,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modifled form of element wherein there is a double coating;

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing another type` of 45 yelement having a perforated core, part being broken away;

Fig. 8 is an,enlarged sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; v Fig. 9 is a plan view showing still another type 50 of element wherein the core is embossed or roughened, part being broken away; and

Fig. '10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line IIJ--I-of Flg.'9.

In formingthe improved product. any form 55 of paper or thin flexible material may be utilized, the only requirement being that the paper has suicient strength to carry the weight of the cement to be applied thereto. Any inexpensive commercial form of paper is satisfactory, but if desired, a more expensive form may be utilized such as `a. two-ply paper with an intervening layer of strengthening bers or the like.

The paper, designated by the numeral I2, which may or may not be treated with asphalt or other water-proofing material,` is led over` a guiding roller I3 as shown in Fig. 1, and is then subjected to a coating process. Any suitable means may be utilized for applying the coating thereto. It is preferred, however, to cause the paper, while traveling, to be submerged in a tank I4, the said tank having hydraulic cement- I5 therein. The

ordinary form of Portland cement may be utilized it to a desired thickness. The web may then bepassed over a suitable movable support, as the endless belt Il, and below a cutting roll I8, having knives I9 thereon, as shown in Figs. 2 or 3.

These knives engage the web before the cement has set, and in severing the web to form shingles of a desired shape, they tend to compress the soft cement at the severed edges, as shown in Fig/s. 2 and 3, and to cause it to curve around the edges of the paper core, so that the paper at all of the-severed edges is thoroughly protected. In addition, the pressure of the cutting knives tends to compress the edges of the paper, as at 20, to

render the latter more dense at the cut edges and I thereby prevent the entrance of moisture to the paper.

uThe cement utilized in the tank I4 may be mixed with color therein so as to form shingles of any desired shade. 'As an alternative, the color may be applied to the surface of the cement after the latter has been coated on the paper.l

If desired, the paper may be treated, prior to its entrance into the coating tank I4, 'with a suitable adhesive, such as emulsied asphalt or any other bituminous material, casein, glue or the like, to aid in binding the cement to the paper, while the cementis in the process of setting. An emulsied asphalt is preferable because the liquid in emulsied asphalt, before it has set,will combine with liquid in the cement to bond the two together. A better bond is also obtained since there is not the tendency of the wet cement to set the emulsied asphalt by chilling, as would occur with ordinary molten asphalt.

With the above method, it will be'seen that the paper serves effectivelyas a vehicle for carrying the cement in web form to permit a continuous coating operation, and that the paper forms a minor part of the bulk of the completed product, the thickness of the cement in the nal product being several times that of the paper. By means of this method, any ofthe conventional formsv of roofing may be readily formed from cement, and many of these forms are far superior when formed from cement than when made of the usual exible composition material.

When the latter is used, shingles of the shape shown in Fig. 4, having a relatively narrow neck 2 I, are objectionable, as the vusual asphalt coating has insucient strength to prevent breakage of said neck. By forming shingles of cement, however, the latter will strengthen the narrow portions of the body brought about by spaced openings between tabs, and the result will be a very durable product.

In order tomake a still more substantial shingle, a second coating of cement, preferably an oxysalt, as indicated at 22 'in Fig. 6 may be applied, preferably after 'the first coating has partially set, and either before or-after the web has been out. It is preferred to use in the cement mixture contained in the tank I4, asbestos bers or the like, which will tend to hold the cement together after it has set.

In Fig. '1 is illustrated another form of shingle which may be made-with the improved process. In this form a slight modification is illustrated wherein the. paper core is provided with a plu` rality of perforations 23. The cement covering will naturally iiow through said perforations, and

Y thus the cement will be firmly anchored in place.

I n Fig. 9 still another shape of shingle is shown wherein the paper has an embossed or roughened surface as at 24, the saidembossed areas furnishing projections to which the 'cement will become firmly anchored after it has set.

While .it is preferred to utilize the coating on both sides of the paper, it may, of course, be applied to one side thereof only, and the coating on one or both sides may be omitted from portions which are adapted to be covered over during assembly.

From the above, it may readily be seen that a rigid shingle has been provided which can be formed in an economical manner from a web and cut into any conventional shape, and it may be seen that. the filler, utilized is relatively inexpensive and forms but a small portion of the thickness-of the finished product.

Ihus the cement will be the majorA portion of the product, and it will therefore be the controlling factor in expansion and contraction. In

view of the fact that the base has a different coeiiicient of expansion and contraction than cement, if the base forms a major part of the thickness such as would be the case if ordinary base material were employed, the dierence in coeflicients -of the base and the cement would be likely to cause cracking of the cement when the product is subjected to temperature changes. ALikewise if the base, for instance, metal, is such that it cannot b controlled by movements of the cement, occasioned by moisture absorption or shrinkage due to curing and ageing, cracking also will wlikely occur. Furthermore, ,by the use of paper instead of felt, the filler will have considerably greater strength and density in proportion to its thickness.

An advantage in the use of hydraulic cement as a coating lies in the fact that the water of the cement serves to keep the cutting knives dampened to afford desired lubrication. When an oleaginous material is used as a` coating, the knives must be lubricated by spraying or by the application of water from a container, and with rapid production. Individual shingles can, how- Y6 plated asl may come for exposure to the weather comprising a relatively `thin paper membrane having a coating of of hydraulic cement thereon wholly enclosing the membrane at all the edges thereof.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a shingley for exposure to the weather comprising a relatively 'thin paper membrane having a coating on both sides thereof, said coating extending substantially to all edges of the membrane and extending over all edge portions to be exposed to the weather when laid.

3. As an article of manufacture, a hydraulic cement shingle element for weather exposure comprising a main portion of cementitious material and a forming core comprising a thin paper membrane, said cementitious material wholly enclosing the membrane.

` 4. As an article of manufacture a shingle comprising a paper core and a coating of hydraulic cement thereon, said coating surrounding said coreand being compressed at the edge portions thereof.

5. As an article of manufacture, a hydraulic cement shingle comprising a body, the major bulk of which is cementitious material and a thin fibrous core, said core being compressed at the edge portions, whereby moisture is sealed out.

6. Asan article of manufacture, a cementitious shingle element comprising a relatively thin fibrous layer and a hardened hydraulic cement coating secured thereto, said coating being of greater density at the edge portion of the shingle 5 than at the area within said edges.

7. As an article of manufacture, a shingle element comprising a base, consisting of a brous membrane, a layer of Portland cement on said base and a layer of oxychloride cement upon said rst layer to form a surfacing therefor.

8. A shingle element comprising a layer of hydraulic cement and a surfacing theren comprising an oxychloride cement.

9. As an article of manufacture, a shingle element comprising a paper membrane and a hardened hydraulic cement coating, said membrane having an adhesive coating thereon.

10. As an article of manufacture, a hydraulic cement shingle comprising 'a principal'cementi- 20 tlous body and a paper membrane within having thereon an emulsied coating.

11. As an article of manufacture, a weather Vresistant element comprising a base, a layer of .Portland cement on said base and a further layer comprising an o xychloride on said rst layer and forming a smooth surfacing therefor.

12. As an article of manufacture, a building elementcomprising a nbre-containing base, a layer of adhesive on said base comprising a set coating of a bituminous emulsion and a hardened coating of a plastic hydraulic cement bonded to said adhesive layer.

13. As an article of manufacture, a building element comprising` a paper membrane, a layer of adhesive on said membrane comprising a set coating of a bituminous emulsion and a hardened coating of a plastic hydraulic cement bonded to said adhesive layer.

NORMAN P. HARSHBERGER. 

